The 15 Best Camping Chairs of 2023, Tested by Travel + Leisure

The convenience continues with two side pockets that function as cup holders or storage for other provisions. The chair is comfy enough for all-day sitting, and we appreciated that the back was higher on this chair than the other lightweight options we evaluated. Mesh side panels provide breathability that’s perfect for warm weather, but if you’d like to use this chair at the beach or on other soft grounds, we recommend getting a Trekology sand ozark trail canopy cover to avoid sinkage. The chair comes in black, red, blue, and green, and you can save a few dollars per chair by purchasing a pack of two on the Trekology website. The Kelty’s polyester seat cover manages to meld a cloud-like cushion with a supportive feel that’s kind to your back after a long day of roughing it. Adjustable armrests are equipped with insulated cup holders that can be expanded to fit massive water bottles and oversized mugs.

Comfort is decidedly lower in foam chairs — we noted that the PowerLounger curled our shoulders in and dug into our underarms the least. The comfort between these categories is notably different. T+L writers are shopping and product experts who score the market for the best of the best travel gear. For this article, lifelong camper Lydia Price joined a group of other editors to put 29 outdoor chairs to the test in our New York City lab. They carefully evaluated the comfort, durability, portability, and value of each chair to put together this list of the best options for camping.

The industry is flooded with options for portable chairs, from compact seats that are light enough for extended treks to heavy-duty rocking chairs that let you recreate your living room on the campground. This wider and longer set will provide support for larger adults with the same upright style as the traditional bagged camping chair. Has been rated for 300 pounds, but can hold more weight comfortably.

In general, the higher the chair is, the easier it is to get in and out, and the gentler it is on the knees and hips. We also compared how far back the seat reclined (or didn’t) and the seat’s width. Because comfort is a significant part of this review, we allocated 35% of each chair’s overall score to this metric. We tested one chair at a time, starting by setting them up for use and paying close attention to whether there was any guesswork or fumbling involved in assembly. To see how comfortable it was to use the chairs for extended periods of time, we sat in each for minutes, making sure to evaluate any extra features like tables, coolers, and cup holders.

They’re also far more expensive and significantly less comfortable than typical full-size camp chairs. We recommend buying this type only if you intend to carry your chair long distances, whether you’re backpacking or trekking across Central Park. If you do need a fits-in-a-knapsack chair, ozark hammock chair we recommend the Helinox Chair One. We found this model to be slightly more comfortable and easier to pack than other, similar chairs. They’re lightweight, sleek, and designed to help you in your most adventurous pursuits. Chairs are for luxury, and they’d serve no purpose without comfort.